QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by ALTRINGHAM, J. D. Articles by JOHNSTON, I. A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by ALTRINGHAM, J. D. Articles by JOHNSTON, I. A.

Journal of Experimental Biology 151,453-467 (1990)
Published by Company of Biologists 1990

Scaling Effects on Muscle Function: Power Output of Isolated Fish Muscle Fibres Performing Oscillatory Work

JOHN D. ALTRINGHAM ¹ and IAN A. JOHNSTON ²

¹ Department of Pure and Applied Biology, The University Leeds LS2 9JT
² Gatty Marine Laboratory, Department of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, The University St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB

Bundles of 3-10 live fast fibres were isolated from the abdominal myotomes of cod (Gadus morhua L.) 13-67 cm in length. The preparations performed work under conditions simulating their activity during swimming: sinusoidal length changes were imposed about in situ fibre length, and the fibres were stimulated at a selected phase in each cycle. Strain amplitude, and the number and timing of stimuli were chosen to give maximum power output over a wide range of cycle/tailbeat frequencies. For each preparation power output was maximal at a particular frequency, although the peaks were rather broad. As the size of the fish increased the cycle frequency for maximum power output (f_opt) decreased, from 12.5 Hz (13 cm fish) to 5 Hz (67 cm fish) (f_opt= 1.67 L^-0.52, where L is body length).

Key words: fish, locomotion, oscillatory work, scaling, mechanics, muscle, swimming

Accepted on March 31, 1990